acclino

Forms

acclīnō (present infinitive acclīnāre, perfect active acclīnāvī, supine acclīnātum); first conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin ad- + clīnō, “to lean towards”.^[2][1] The simple verb, “to bend”, goes back to Proto-Italic *kl(e)in-e/o- and Proto-Indo-European *ḱl-n(e)-i- (“to lean to, bend”).^[3] Cognate with Ancient Greek κλίνω (klínō), Old High German hlinēn and Old English hlinian (“to lean”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in Livy, of a camp set on a slope and, figuratively, of people inclined to support the senate's cause,^[2][4] and in Ovid, of a person leaning on another.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

L&S notes that it is not found before the Augustan period and is mostly poetic.^[5] Its passive participle acclinatus, “leaning on”, is the commonest form:^[5] Ovid has a neck laid on soft feathers, and Statius trees bowing their tops to the ground.^[2]

In Medieval Latin it meant to bend or bow;^[6] Bede uses it of bowing over a body in the manner of people praying.^[6]

Timeline

• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of a camp and, figuratively, of support for a cause.^[2][7]
• 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid uses it of leaning on someone.^[2][7]
• c. 45–96 AD – Statius uses it in the Thebaid and the Silvae.^[2][7]
• first third of the 8th century – Bede uses it of bowing.^[6][7]

Meanings

Verb

1. (usually with dative) To lay down, rest (on); in the passive participle, leaning or resting on.^[2][5]
2. To place (on sloping ground).^[2]
3. (reflexive) To lean towards or on.^[2][5]
4. (figurative) To incline to the support of.^[2][4]
5. (Medieval Latin) To bend, bow.^[6]

Word family

• acclīnis

Related words

• clīnāmen
• clīnātus
• dēclīnō
• inclīnō
• prōclīnō
• reclīnō

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
5. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c d Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
7. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de